Key findings emerged around what matters most to Millennial women. Top issues included brand’s character, transparency and validation from other people like them. Female Millennial consumers value validation more than any other generation (41% of Millennials versus 28% of Baby Boomers). Continue reading →

Posted inMillennial women|Comments Off on New Research on Millennial Women and Trust

We’ve known for a long time that men and women don’t have the same online shopping patterns. With all of the data available today, companies are trying to figure out what those specific differences are, and more importantly, how they can create an experience that delights both male and female online shoppers. Continue reading →

Does the company you buy coffee from every day offer maternity leave? Does your bank have any women in leadership? Do you fund women politicians, then drop hundreds weekly at a grocery store that has anti-family policies? Maybe you should know this stuff. Now you will.

BUY UP Index is the first app of its kind that allows consumers to use their purchasing power on companies most committed to gender equality.

BUY UP Index is a rating system and mobile shopping app that allows consumers to make purchasing decisions based on a company’s demonstrated commitment to gender equality. BUY UP Index rates brands and products and the companies behind them by performing extensive research through publicly available data to assess companies on four major areas: Women Employees, Women Leadership, Corporate Citizenship and Marketing.

I find this really intriguing. We have values based investing. This is a great way to promote values based buying. I care a great deal about how companies treat their employees. I’m happy to give my business to companies who are more supportive of women.

I talked with Amy-Willard Cross, CEO and Co-founder of BUY UP Index. She echoed the same feeling.

“We’re empowering people to use their purchasing power on the most deserving brands,” said Amy-Willard Cross. “There has been a lot of focus on designations for products that are fair trade, cruelty-free, etc., but there is nothing that audits and grades a company’s focus on women. BUY UP Index has been created to solve the massive problem of gender inequality on societal and economic fronts and to move the needle for women in a massive way and at a rapid speed.”

Companies and brands take note – women are watching.

“We designed BUY UP Index standards to be uncompromising, where ratings can’t be bought, sold or negotiated,” said Cross. “The only way for a company to game its score is by appointing more women to the C-suite, releasing stereotype-busting ads or making large donations to women’s causes. There is a $5 trillion dollar market eager to spend their dollars on brands that progress the objective of gender equality.”

Amy Willard-Cross has a final words to shoppers – “Spend right, and change the world.”

If you’ve ever spent time around women, you know they are constantly talking about their relationships. Women share all sorts of details and intimacies. But there is one relationship they almost never talk about, at least publicly – their relationship with money.

I’ve spent the last decade studying how men and women make financial decisions. I’ve noticed some interesting patterns, particularly in how women approach money. Or in some cases, avoid money. I’m always looking for new insights on what women can do to have a better relationship with money. I found a great resource in Meriflor Toneatto.

As Meriflor points out: “Your emotional state will ultimately determine your financial state. The way you do money is the way you do everything in your life.” She makes some interesting analogies. Continue reading →

I recently hosted a panel at the Small Business Banking conference in Miami focusing on women business owners. Judging from the crowd and the feedback, there is A LOT of interest in working with women business owners. And rightly so.

During the past 17 years, women-owned businesses have steadily increased their influence on the U.S. economy. Since 1997 women-owned firms have:

increased in number by 68%

grown revenues by 72%, and

added 11% more jobs.

Banks, credit unions and other alternative lenders are looking for strategies to attract and connect with women business owners. The question is, how?

The two top questions attendees wanted answered were:

What’s the difference between men and women business owners?

What do women business owners want? What matters to them when choosing a bank or banker?

Here are our favorite marketing to women ads for 2014. Some are obviously targeting women, some are doing it in a more subtle way. But all do a terrific job of connecting with women. Drum roll please…….

Subaru – Flat Tire

You will notice a theme here that I’ve been promoting for a long time – if you want to connect with women, show great dads. I think dads and daughters are an especially powerful combination. Continue reading →

When I speak to women’s groups, the concept of “Work Life Balance” is a popular discussion point. Every time I have been asked to give a presentation on that subject, my answer is, “no.” I have nothing to say since I do not believe there is such a thing as “Work Life Balance.”

But then I found this video. It hilariously addresses this question. The answer will, sadly, resonate with almost everyone.

Some call it Socially Responsible Investing. Some call it Sustainable Investing. Some call it Responsible or Green Investing. Some call it Impact Investing. No matter what you call it, this type of investing focuses on companies who have a positive impact on society or the planet.

Many in the financial industry have shied away from this type of investing. Why? Because their focus has been on making money. And there is a popular belief that you cannot be socially responsible AND focus on making as much money as possible.

One financial advisor I read about went so far as to say he would fire any client that came to him wanting to do “socially responsible” investing.

But is that belief true? Venture capital firm, DBL Investors, in San Francisco would disagree. DBL stands for “double bottom line,” which refers to focusing on the bottom line of making money and the bottom line of making a difference. The fund’s managing director is Nancy Pfund. Continue reading →

“Although women are not as likely as men to try new technology first, they hold the key to mass adoption,” said Mark Schwanhausser, Director of Omnichannel Financial Services for Javelin Strategy & Research. “Banks need to incorporate online and mobile features that bolster women’s desire for simplicity and to avoid slipping into debt.”

Notice that very important point – women are the key to mass adoption. If you create tech women love and use, everyone else is likely to follow. Continue reading →